The present invention relates to a thyristor column which consists of a stack of thyristors and cooling capsules. More particularly, the invention relates to such columns in which two end pieces each have a clamping element and there is a frame-like clamping device which surrounds the stack and the end pieces in an electrically insulating manner and in which each clamping element rests on one of the ends of the stack and in which at least one of the two clamping elements is resilient.
Such a thyristor column is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,603,381. In the design described there, a stack consisting of alternatingly arranged, disc-shaped, semiconductor components and cooling capsules, in which each semiconductor component is arranged between two cooling capsules and there are two insulators at both ends of the stack, is clamped symmetrically into a frame-like metal clamping device. The clamping device consists of clamping plates and tie rods. An elastic compensation element which rests on one of the insulators is screwed into one of the clamping plates. The dimensions of such a thyristor column are determined by the air and leakage paths which are required for electrically insulating the clamping device from the stack of thyristors and cooling capsules, which operate at a higher voltage. The known thyristor column requires much space since the clamping plates are connected via insulators to the ends of the stack of thyristors and cooling capsules, and the tie rods must be installed at sufficiently large distances from the stack.
It is an object of the invention to develop a thyristor column of the type mentioned at the outset so that it takes as little space as possible while providing sufficient electrical insulation.